10 Summer Garden Survival Tips

10 Summer Survival Tips for Gardeners: Your Ultimate Guide to Gardening in the Heat

Gardening in the summer comes with its own set of challenges, from extreme heat to pests and diseases. Here are some of my best tips and strategies for gardening in the heat to keep the garden thriving all summer long. 

Check out the video version of this guide here:

1. Pest Management
Effective pest management is crucial for a thriving garden. Identify the type of pests you're dealing with to choose the correct treatment:

• Chewing Insects: Spray with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) for worms and caterpillar damage. Spray with Spinosad for tougher pests like corn earworms.
• Sucking Insects: Treat aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies with Spinosad, neem, or organic insecticidal soap.
• Hard-Shelled Insects: Manually remove insects like stink bugs and squash bugs or use Spinosad on their nymphs.
• Encourage natural predators by installing bird feeders and water fountains to attract birds, spiders, frogs, and lizards.

2. Managing Plant Diseases
Plant diseases are similar to human diseases, as they are caused by pathogens like mold, fungus, bacteria, or viruses. Ensure proper spacing and vertical garden as much as possible to improve airflow. Spray with 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water to kill pathogens that spread on the leaves. Solarizing the garden can also help eliminate pathogens that survive in the soil.

3. Vertical Gardening
Vertical gardening offers multiple benefits, including keeping plant leaves dry, reducing pest access, and improving airflow. Use trellises or Greenstalk Garden Towers to maximize space and decrease the chance of disease.

4. Watering Plants
Water plants early in the morning (before 9am) to ensure they dry quickly and that water is available during the hottest part of the day. Avoid overwatering by using a drip irrigation system with an automatic timer, such as the Rainpoint automatic water timer. Oftentimes, plants are wilting because it is too hot, not because they need water. If they are still wilted by evening time, then they actually need water. 

5. Providing Shade
Use shade cloth or choose spots that get morning sun and afternoon shade to keep plants cooler. Shade cloth can lower the temperature by up to 10 degrees, benefiting heat-sensitive plants like greens, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes.

6. Timely Planting
Plant your summer garden by the end of May to allow plants to mature and have bigger/deeper root systems that can better handle the environmental stress of summer. 

7. Mulching
Mulch helps regulate soil moisture and prevents problems like blossom end rot and leaf curl. It also acts as a barrier against soil pathogens. Mulch all areas of your garden, including the ground, raised beds, containers, and grow bags.

8. Solarizing Problem Areas
Solarize sections of your garden with consistent disease issues by covering them with black or white (not clear) plastic. This method can significantly reduce pathogens and pests.

9. Dealing with Root Knot Nematodes
Root knot nematodes thrive in hot, moist, sandy soils. Remove affected plants and add crab meal to attract beneficial nematodes that eat the bad ones. Use nematocidal cover crops and apply beneficial nematodes to manage the problem. So far I have noticed root knot nematodes on my tomato and squash plants so I try to avoid growing these two crops during the summer. 

10. Exploring Heat-Tolerant Crops
Choose crops from regions like Asia, Africa, South America, and the Caribbean that naturally thrive in the heat. These crops require less effort and ensure a successful harvest during the summer.

***Bonus Tip*** Self-Care in the Garden
Stay safe and take care of yourself when gardening in the heat. Stay hydrated, drink beverages with extra electrolytes, wear sunscreen, wear a hat, wear sweatbands, sunglasses, and UV-blocking clothing. Garden during the cooler parts of the day, take breaks, and work in short intervals.

These tips will help gardeners survive and thrive during the summer months. Share your own tips and tricks in the comments to help others stay safe and enjoy their summer gardening experience. Happy gardening!